Barrel-opener.



. PATBNTBD JAN. 9, 1906. J. S. KNIGHT 6: M. B. RUSS.

BARREL OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1905.

T M 0 (fairing/walla )[Bfiasa 2% 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. KNIGHT AND MYR ON B. RUSS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

BARREL-OPENER- Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed May 29, 1905. Serial No. 262,940.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that we, J AMES S. KNIGHT and MYRON B. RUSS, citizens of the United States, residing at Kansas (lity, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Barrel- Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to barrel-openers; and our object is to produce a device for expanding the end of a barrel at diametrically opposite points to effect the disengagement of the central portion of the head from the chime without unfitting the barrel or the dislodged portion of the head for future service. A further object is to produce a device of this character which enables the operator to open a barrel in less time than the same result can be accomplished by the usual method, the

latter being also objectionable because the barrel is generally unfitted for future service and cannot be sold ata price as high as a barrel in good condition.

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a top plan View of a barrel with the-opener applied in operative position thereto. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the barrel with the opener in elevation. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the opener on a larger scale than in the preceding figures. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line IV IV of Fig. 1 on the same scale as Fig. 3.

In the said drawings, 1 indicates a bar provided with a longitudinal channel 2 for nearly its full length and with longitudinal flanges 3, projecting inwardly fromthe side walls of channel 2. At its outer end said bar is formed with a segmental head 4, having its outer edge beveled downwardly to provide the wedge 53, said head being also formed with a shoulder 6, which corresponds in curvature to that of the wedge. At its inner end bar 1 is provided with upwardly-projecting ears 7 connected by a pin 8, a cotter 9 engaging one end of the pin to retain it in position. 10 indicates a forked lever pivoted on pin 8 between ears 7 and provided with a handle 11, which handle may be hollow, as shown, to receive a removable extension-handle 12 for the purpose of giving the operator greater leverage in the' work to be performed. 13 indicates a cogwheel journaled on pin 8 and fitting snugly within the forked lever. 14 indicates a pivotpin carried by the forked lever, and pivoted on said pin is a gravity-dog 15, having a plurality of teeth for engagement simultaneously with the cog-wheel teeth, the rearmost tooth I being so disposed that it is the first to engage and the last to release the cog-wheel, said tooth acting as a fulcrum for the dog when the handle is swung upward to swing the dog backward, so that the front teeth shall be entirely out of engagement with the wheel, the rear tooth slipping inoperatively from one tooth of the wheel to another until the rear movement of the lever ceases and leaves said tooth resting lightly upon one of the wheehteeth and in position as the lever is again swung forward to bear against the tooth of the wheel in front of it, and thus cause the front teeth of the dog to swing down into engagement with the wheel and efiect rotary movement of the latter. To disengage the dog from the wheel, it is swung in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 3, and by reference to said figure it will be seen that in such movement the rear tooth will readily clear the teeth of the wheel in front of it. The dog is provided with a finger-loop at its upper end by which it can be conveniently grasped and lifted from engagement with the cog-wheel. The other sliding member of the opener comprises a bar 17, occupying channel 2 and projecting under the flanges 3 at opposite sides of the channel, and said bar is provided with a longitudinal series of cog-teeth 18, constituting a rack-bar for engagement with the cog-wheel 13. The outer end of they bar 17 terminates in a segmental head 19, depending slightly so that its lower side shall occupy the same horizontal plane as that of the companion head. Said head 19 has its outer margin beveled to form a wedge 20 and provided contiguous to and parallel withsaid wedge with a shoulder 21.

The opener when contracted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is adapted for use on a small barrel, said members being disposed in the movement because of its engagement with the rack-bar. When the opener has been placed upon the head of the barrel, preferably with the head of bar 1 against the inner sides of the staves, as shown in Fig. 2, the operator of the barrel at the two points engaged, this expandingaction continuing until the ends of the middle section Z) of the head of the barrel are disengaged from the chime 0 of the barrel, the wedges 5 and 20 of the heads of said members because of their configuration entering the chime to guard against tilting action of the sliding members, which would permit the staves to spring back to their original positions, it being understood, of course, that the lever must beheld in the position to which it was thrown, so as to hold the staves expanded until the sections of the barrel-head, or as many of them as desired, have been removed. It will be understood that when the wedge ends are in engagement with the chime the shoulders 6 and 21 bear against the contiguous inner sides of the staves, and therefore guard against the entire pressure being imposed upon the grooved portion of the staves by the sharp wedges.

In practice asingle swing of the lever is all that is necessary to expand the end of the barrel sufliciently to permit of the removal of the head. After the head is removed the staves are permitted to spring back to their original positions, and, if desired, the device may be utilized to reexpand the end of the barrel for the purpose of permitting the sections of the head to be resecured in position easily and quickly. It will be seen that the barrel can be opened without injury to either the staves or the head and that such operation can be performed with ease and despatch, as the length of the handle may be varied to give any desired leverage.

From the above description it will be apparent that we have produced a barrel-opener possessing the features of advantage enumerated as desirable and which is obviously susceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detail construction, and arrangement of the parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A barrel-opener, comprising a pair of members fitting slidingly together and terminating at their outer ends in heads having wedges at their outer margins, a lever pivotally supported from one of said members, and means whereby pivotal movement of said lever in one direction shall slide said members and thereby increase the distance between their heads.

2. A barrel-opener, comprising a pair of members fitting slidingly together and terminating at their outer ends in heads having wedges at their outer margins and shoulders inward of and above said wedges, a lever pivotally supported from one of said members, and means whereby'pivotal movement of said lever in one direction shall slide said members and thereby increase the distance between their heads.

3. A barrel-opener, comprising a pair of members fitting slidingly together and terminating at their outer ends in segmental heads having wedges at their outer margins, a lever pivotally supported from one of said members, a gravity-dog carried by said lever, and means actuated by said dog as the lever is swung forward to slide said members and increase the distance between their heads.

i. A barrel-opener, comprising a pair of members fitting slidingly together and terminating at their outer ends in heads having wedges at their outer margins, one of said members being provided with cog-teeth, a cog-whee] engaging said teeth and having rotary movement only, a lever pivoted to rotate around the axis of the wheel, and a gravity-dog carried by said lever and adapted as the latter is swung forward to engage and rotate said wheel. 4

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES S. KNIGHT. MYRON B. RUSS. Witnesses:

H. O. RODGERS, G. Y. THoRPE. 

